My name is Andrew Garcia, and I'm a registered Nurse. I'm new to this forum and website, but I have a few questions and some observations.
I'm currently contemplating on furthering my education. I always wanted to be a MD/DO, but the cost of medical school is horrendous, and I honestly do not want to go into such debt. The face of medicine is changing rapidly and I think NP's will have more autonomy as healthcare moves forward.
With that being said, I've been looking into APRN/NP schools and I feel that the NP schools lack education in preparing NP's for a more advanced clinical role; in other words I feel that many schools do not truly prepare the APRN student for the role of a diagnostic clinician. I know that the NP/APRN role is based off of the nursing model and evidence based research, and something such as PA is based off of the medical model.
I compared didactics for both PA and NP, and it just feels like the APRN lacks some education. Regardless of the model/didactic that is taught, both roles are still advanced practitioners who treat, prescribe, and diagnose so the PA didactic seemed a little more established and comprehensive as opposed to the typical APRN model.
Another thing I noted is that every school kind of seems like they teach what they wish to teach for the APRN role, and it seems as if there is no clear standard didactic. I've been an RN since 2009, and many will say that the experience I've garnered over the last 9 years should be enough to help me for the APRN role, however I feel that it is not the case. As an RN, I do not have experience diagnosing, treating and/or prescribing medications, or interpreting labs and radiology exams, so it is, in my opinion not the best experience for the APRN/NP role.
I want to believe that the APRN role is a good role and that it is worth it, so I am asking, can any APRN/NP's share their experience with me in this? How was the schooling, how are you liking your role as a NP, how does it fare against what you can see, against being a PA or even an MD/DO?
I just want to say, lastly, that I am not attempting to start any problems or attempting to degrade the field itself. These are just some observations/opinions on my end, but I do have an open mind, which is why I would appreciate feedback from fellow peers.
Welcome. Well here's the rub. Some schools don't adequately prepare you. If you attend EasyNP Online Skool.com then perhaps you won't get the education you desire, but if you attend a good school, maybe one that's affiliated with a medical school, then you'll be more than adequately prepared. I haven't understood a lot of these types of conversations because the school I go to has been superb and is preparing me extremely well. This semester we are taking an entire class in diagnostics, which is a follow up from the one last semester where we learned how to research pathology and associated clinical decision rules. We are being taught to read x-rays, interpret labs, apply it to real case studies of real patients and encouraged to diagnose patients appropriately and prepare our differentials. I've placed central lines, arterial lines, and worked alongside acute NPs who run the show in the ICU. My school also places me in clinicals in the top 4 hospitals in the state in the specialty of our choosing, and we have the best professors, the best sim labs and a wealth of collaboration with our affiliated medical school. Find the right program and you'll get the right education.
Rocknurse!
Thank you for sharing! You're right, and that's what I am starting to see. Its a pain sifting through Universities, looking for well equipped and well taught programs with substance but its worth it! Thank you for your response and input, I really do appreciate it. If you don't mind sharing, what university/APRN program are you attending because it does sound quite superb, and I would love to look into this school. Thanks again!
Thank you for sharing! You're right, and that's what I am starting to see. Its a pain sifting through Universities, looking for well equipped and well taught programs with substance but its worth it! Thank you for your response and input, I really do appreciate it. If you don't mind sharing, what university/APRN program are you attending because it does sound quite superb, and I would love to look into this school. Thanks again!
Respectfully,
Andrew
I am in the AGAC-NP program at UCONN. It's a fine university with a beautiful campus.
I went to a brick and mortar school in the south east and felt it adequately prepared me for being an NP. However, I also had many years of experience as a critical care RN, so that helped as well. I also was and am always looking for more self education and knowledge.
Drewsky7x
6 Posts
Rocknurse!
Thank you for sharing! You're right, and that's what I am starting to see. Its a pain sifting through Universities, looking for well equipped and well taught programs with substance but its worth it! Thank you for your response and input, I really do appreciate it. If you don't mind sharing, what university/APRN program are you attending because it does sound quite superb, and I would love to look into this school. Thanks again!
Respectfully,
Andrew